Children's board game companies make special versions of games like Go Fish and Memory that use letters. These matching games will engage kids to actively interact with letters and learn their shapes. You can help your child associate each letter with its appropriate sound by repeating the letter and sound during the game. Have your child repeat each sound after you.
The computer can be an excellent tool for beginning readers because it is interactive. Young children must identify a letter on the keyboard before they can type it. Early reading games often pronounce a letter out loud repeatedly during gameplay. Children who are resistant to learning to read sometimes rebel during educational games with their parents, so the computer presents a more neutral interface for these types of games. You can stay with the child as she plays, and give her additional encouragement and help.
Some older children know the basics of reading but have trouble sounding out words and remembering words from sight. Word games can be helpful, but it is important to be conscious of the difficulty level so the child does not become frustrated. Mad Libs is a creative and rewarding game that is not competitive and can be played at the child's own pace. Children's versions of Boggle and crossword puzzles help children with spelling.
A fun game to play on car trips is the alphabet game. During the trip, you and your child must identify letters from license plates, billboards and other passing scenery in alphabetical order. The first person to spot each letter gets a point. This is a fun game to play with multiple children, and can keep children occupied during car trips. This helps children recognize letters and familiarize them with the alphabet. You might ask children to think of another word that starts with each letter they name.